Chess GM’s dad threatens to call police if he’s unable to spectate his son

Chess Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja‘s father threatened to call the police if he was unable to spectate his son whenever he wanted to. 

As FIDE Candidates played out Round 10 in Toronto, controversy brewed as French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja was warned by FIDE’s Chief Arbiter to take off his shoes due to making too much noise on April 14. 

Following the incident, Alireza was caught in another incident between FIDE’s arbiters, as his father, Hamidreza Firouzja, threatened to call the police when he was unable to spectate his son, subsequently being removed from the venue. 

Interview starts at the 1:24:56 timestamp below.

GM Pavel Tregubov, a FIDE Technical Delegate for the tournament, told Chess24 of the incident, “Sometime after the beginning of the Round, my team reported to me that [Hamidreza] contacted one of them… and threatened to call the police if he’s not allowed to be in the balcony whenever he wants.” 

Hamidreza was eventually escorted from the playing hall and building. All accompanying persons, including coaches and family members, are only allowed to spectate the first 15 minutes of the round. 

However, FIDE originally prohibited any spectators from viewing the games live in person after concerns from players of potential cheating in the important tournament. 

But, Tregubov revealed in the interview on Round 7 that they relaxed the rule after a complaint from Hamidreza of not being able to spectate his son. According to Tregubov, he was the only one to have made the complaint. 

Tregubov said Hamidreza will be allowed back in the venue if “he behaves accordingly.”